BLOG TOUR**~**Just Breathe by Tamara Mataya – Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Releasing May 6, 2014

Published by Swoon Romance

Twenty-one-year-old Elle Granger’s boyfriend broke up with her like a coward. He moved to another city without so much as a “goodbye.” Devastated and embarrassed, Elle told friends the break-up was mutual and she endured the heartbreaking split without support from the people she’s closest with. Instead, she embraced her librarian job as therapy and spent her nights medicated by a thick cloud of pot smoke. With her lungs, and heart, screaming for a break, Elle quits smoking cold turkey. Just when she’s about to ask for support from her friends, and let them in on the truth of Jason’s humiliating betrayal, her best friend moves to Spain.
Enter sexy-as-hell library patron Dominic, who literally knocks Elle off her feet during a memorable first encounter. Can he help her forget Jason’s very existence? He can sure try, and Elle is more than ready to let him. Dominic makes Elle feel wanted and special, and puts effort into coming up with dates that don’t set off her Synaesthesia. Just when Elle is starting to feel whole again, Jason returns, determined to reunite. His effusive apology and reasons for leaving are a balm to her battered ego, but she rebuffs his attention.
But nothing good can last forever, and Elle catches Dominic in a devastating lie. How could she have been so wrong about both Jason and Dominic? Is letting Jason back into her heart a safe bet since he has already proven he can’t be trusted? The wrong choice could see Elle’s happy ending go up in smoke. But when your only choices are the devils you know, all you can do is JUST BREATHE.

** A complimentary copy was provided by the author for Blog Tour**

~~ 3.5 Stars ~~

Just Breathe was the first book I have read by Tamara Mataya. I enjoyed the storyline of this book, but I have to say it didn’t WOW me. I thought the writing style and flow of the book was wonderful and the pace moved the story along at the right speed. What I did have a problem with was part of the storyline that I thought didn’t need to play such a huge part of the book. I loved that this book was about a Librarian (Don’t see those very often as a heroine) and she was suffering from a condition I had never heard of before. I thought including those factors really made this book stand out for me. But like I said the author had a aspect of this heroine’s life play to big of a part of the story, and it made me uncomfortable, (recreational use of drugs) I felt she was condoning this type of behavior. This is all in my opinion and what bothered me might not bother others.

I did like the characters she created, but I will say that I had a hard time connecting with Elle. I really didn’t feel what she was feeling. I can’t really explain why there was the disconnect, there just was. Some of it might have to do with the extracurricular activity that Elle and her roommates had. Like I said it made me uncomfortable, so that might be why I wasn’t able to connect with Elle. Dominic on the other hand….I loved him. I thought he was amazing. The stuff he did for Elle and her condition was great. He showed her that he didn’t care that she was living with a condition that made it hard for her to leave her house. He did everything possible to make their dates special. I have to say you don’t see many guys who go to these lengths just to date a woman. He had me swooning for most of the book.

As for the secondary characters we meet, I really only liked Marie. I thought she was a great friend to Elle and told her like it is. I was kind of sad that she was cut from the story about half way through. I know there were extenuating circumstances but I thought she could’ve kept a small part to the story. I thought Kennedy and Nick weren’t the best friends to Elle. She lived with them and they didn’t notice that something was really wrong after Elle’s Ex dumps her. I have to believe that in a real life situation they would’ve noticed Elle behaving differently. I think they were just too wrapped up in themselves and their bad habit.

As for recommending this book, I think it is worth the read. I loved the love story and courtship between Elle and Dominic. I wish it would’ve been more of the focus. I also thought that the ending was rushed a little and kind of abrupt. I thought that both Dominic and Elle were willing to forgive and brush things under the rug a little to quickly. This book is a standalone with a completed story, but I wouldn’t mind another maybe novella, to really complete their story.

Tamara Mataya is currently a librarian; she lurked there for so long recommending books to patrons and shushing people, that she suspects they only hired her so it would be less creepy. Now she’s armed with a name tag, and a thin veneer of credibility. She’s also a musician with synaesthesia – which isn’t an issue until someone plays a wrong note, which makes her want to squirm inside out. It makes for a good live show.